Dave Matthews

What a great day for concert announcements. On Wednesday, music lovers got the skinny on three big shows scheduled for the Bay Area – the Beach Boys on June 1 at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, Iron Maiden on Aug. 3 at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View and the Dave Matthews Band on Sept. 9 at Shoreline.

The most significant show of the bunch – at least, in terms of music history – is the Beach Boys date. That’s because pop visionary Brian Wilson, who last performed with the band in the mid-‘90s, has once again joined the Beach Boys. The occasion is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group’s 50th anniversary, marking a half century since the release of the 1962 debut “Surfin’ Safari.” Continue Reading →

It was time to say thanks to Neil and Pegi Young, and all the other organizers of the Bridge School Benefit concerts, for 25 years of memorable music in support of a worthy cause.

A capacity crowd of 22,000 fans turned out to do just that on Saturday at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, while another packed house would get its chance on Sunday.

The fans brought with them 25 years of warm feelings, memories of seeing R.E.M. and Phish at Bridge 1998 or Tony Bennett and Paul McCartney at Bridge 2004 or the reunited Buffalo Springfield at last year’s concerts, and everybody seemed tickled to just be part of the festivities.

The occasion loomed even larger than the lineup, which really said something about how much this event has meant to local music lovers over the years. Saturday’s bill was terrific, featuring such all-world headliners as Dave Matthews, Eddie Vedder, Arcade Fire, Mumford & Son and, as always, Young, yet it still managed to play second fiddle to simply celebrating the landmark 25th anniversary. Continue Reading →

The Dave Matthews Band, the top-selling touring act of the decade, will perform three Northern California dates this summer. The group hits Sleep Train Pavilion in Concord on Aug. 25, Sleep Train Amphitheatre in the Sacramento area on Aug. 27 and Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View Aug. 28.